The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 in a small Indian village and the community is now established in over 200 countries and has tens of millions of members worldwide. Throughout the world Ahmadi Muslims have become renowned for their commitment to peace, their law-abiding nature and determination to create a harmonious society for all people, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity or faith.
The founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa foretold that in the latter days the teachings of Islam would be corrupted and many Muslims would have deviated from the right path. The Holy Prophet Muhammadsa further prophesied that at such a time God Almighty would send a person as the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi to revive and restore the true original teachings of Islam..
Ahmadi Muslims believe this prophecy was fulfilled in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas who was born in the small Indian village of Qadian. According to the prophecy, Ahmadas claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi and laid forth thousands of signs that established the truth of his claim. He also claimed to be a Prophet of God from within the community of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. He warned the Muslim world that their interpretation of Jihad had become corrupted and that true Islam upheld principles of freedom of religion, universal human rights and non-discrimination at all levels. He taught that a true Muslim must hold sympathy for all mankind. Ahmadas passed away in 1908 but his mission has continued to flourish under the leadership of his spiritual successors (Khalifas).
Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is led by its fifth khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who continues to guide and encourage members of the community not only towards moral reformation and spiritual enlightenment, but also towards the highest standards of secular achievement. In its short history and with limited resources, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has already produced the first Muslim Nobel Prize winner, the first Muslim president of both the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice, a Deputy Executive Secretary of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and numerous renowned secular and religious scholars.
